The literature evidences little activity as regards this class of compounds. However one patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 2,840,600 which discloses N-substituted trimethylene diamine-N'alkanoic acids as corrosion inhibitors in fuel oils. British Pat. No. 776,121 describes surface active esters acid salts of .beta.-aminobutyric acid containing substituents on the nitrogen atom and prepared by reacting ethyl acetoacetate with a primary amine and hydrogenating the product. The J. Indian Chemical Society 7,669-76 (1930) relates the condensation of ethyl acetoacetate with aromatic amines, to give various substituted anilides of unstated properties. Chemical Abs., Vol. 26, 2178.sup.e (1932) describes condensation products of benzylamine with acetoacetic ester. J. Chemical Society (1935) 1568-70 discloses the interaction of aromatic diamines with ethyl acetoacetate. J. Chemical Society (1956) 2597-600 describes the condensation of acetylacetone with 1,2-diamines to form diazepines.